


Locker Rooms

by burkiebeans



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Angst, Blurb, Insecurity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2019-01-06 17:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12215457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burkiebeans/pseuds/burkiebeans
Summary: Sidney knew he was good.





	Locker Rooms

Sidney knew he was good. It was what his parents told him, what his coaches told him, hell, even his teammates told him. It was what his opponents failed to tell him, though. Behind the strategy and skill was still just a 13 year old kid playing with guys much older than him. He was a _kid _.__

__He’d hear it on the ice._ _

__“Hey Sid, you suck!”_ _

__“Fucking faggot!”_ _

__“Crosby, you’re a piece of shit!”_ _

__He could handle it in the beginning, because he knew what they were doing. He was good. He was fucking amazing._ _

__\---_ _

__Sid walked out of his locker room. It was a home game. _Home ice _, he thought, _no way we can lose _. He’d just gotten dressed, everything except the skates, when he realized he needed some stick tape. Jack used the last of the roll, and the extra tape was in the closet all the way down the hall._____ _

______He made his way, staring down at the ground, when he heard his name._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Sidney fucking Crosby. I mean why the hell are they letting a kid play in our league. He’s not any good anyways.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______He froze as he heard the cheers and hollers that followed._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah, I heard his parents bought his way in.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______There was more insults, but Sid didn’t stay to hear it. He decided his stick would last one more game without a new wrap and he ran down to the skate sharpening room, tears blurring his vision._ _ _ _ _ _

______\---_ _ _ _ _ _

______Sidney knew he was good, now more than ever. He spent the days after the draft flying between Ottawa, Halifax, and Pittsburgh, trying to get acclimated to the growing fame. It wasn’t really a question, he knew he was gonna get drafted first, no matter what his opponents kept telling him._ _ _ _ _ _

______He remembers hugging his parents goodbye, hoping to God his mom wouldn’t cry, then leaning down to hug Taylor and tell her he was only a few hours away, and they’d still play shinny in the driveway when he got home. It was all a blur until he walked through the foreign airport and caught sight of the Lemieux. He was still a kid, only 18, and he’d never been so happy to see a billet family in his life._ _ _ _ _ _

______He walked up to them as Mario embraced him in a hug, soon guiding his worn body out into the warm summer air._ _ _ _ _ _

______\---_ _ _ _ _ _

______Sidney hated locker rooms. It wasn’t the awkwardness of changing in front of someone, or the smell, or anything like that. It was the tension that built when he had to walk into one as _Sidney Crosby _, it was the pain he felt as a kid when he’d walk to get a water or some gear and hear the other kids teasing him.___ _ _ _ _ _

________He kept his head lowered as he walked into Pittsburgh’s. He was early, just as he planned. All he wanted was to get dressed and get out on the ice. He needed it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Couldn’t wait a few hours?” Mario yelled, a smug grin across his face as he watched Sid skate around the rink. He stopped suddenly, blushing, but looking over at Mario._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Sorry. I just… missed it.” He skated over to the bench and took a sip of water._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No problem kiddo, I remember those days.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He followed Mario into the almost full locker room, glancing up to see some players smiling and waving at him. At different points they’d come around, introducing themselves as if they needed one, and eventually inviting Sid out to join them in a tournament of pool._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________As the seasons went on, Sids hatred of locker rooms melted away because Sid knew he was good. Way better than the kids he used to play against._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
